No matter which exact processor model you choose for your rig—entry-level, midrange or high-end, AMD or Intel—they all come with a TDP rating from the vendor. Unfortunately these ratings are not standardized and vary greatly between vendors, and even between product generations. The first novelty with our new cooler review test setup is that we'll be testing each cooler at several TDP levels on both platforms, to provide you with data not only how it performs with the most powerful CPU, but also with something that's used by the more-average gamer.

While all modern processors have mechanisms that report the CPU power consumption, these readings are hardly accurate, and they also depend on various tweaks applied by the motherboard vendor and the BIOS settings (Load-Line Calibration, or LLC, for example). Instead, we opted for a hardware measurement solution. This approach allows us to physically monitor the processor's power draw, ensuring a significantly higher degree of accuracy. By directly monitoring the CPU's power usage, and integrating this data into our measurement pipeline, together with fine-grained control of the load parameters, we can provide results based on hardware-confirmed TDPs rather than relying on software estimates.

On a fundamental level, the testing method used will be identical for both AMD and Intel. There will no longer be set clocks, voltages, or testing of cooler performance at base and sustained boost clocks. It makes more sense to set a TDP target that is physically monitored during testing. This allows the processor to operate at a controlled power level, allowing us to do performance testing that not only shows how a cooler should typically perform on entry or mid-range processors but also how these coolers will behave in various workloads. The data this provides can be correlated with our processor reviews, which display per-load and average power draw in various tests, including gaming, thus giving users a better grasp on the level of cooling their system needs.

This new testing method—designed to benefit all users—allows for a more practical evaluation of coolers. When utilizing a tower cooler with a 150-watt rating in an overclocking test, failures may occur due to the overclocked CPU generating excessive heat, and it might be dismissed by many as a choice for their setup. However, this scenario does not provide an accurate assessment of the cooler's overall performance, because the cooler was never designed to handle such high heat loads. Consequently, assessing coolers across various TDP settings offers a clearer understanding of their potential. Most importantly, this approach empowers users to choose coolers that precisely meet their needs, avoiding the unnecessary selection of overkill solutions.